How is the underlined gerund used in the sentence? writing is a valuable lifelong skill.

1. The quality that makes Sir Gawain "the best knight" in "Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady" is his his loyalty to the king.

2. The common theme in both "Merlin and the Dragons" and "Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady" is the clash of good and evil.  There is also implicit in the two stories the role that hospitality marked with acceptance can play in the life of a person.  Making allowance to receive others can open a window of opportunity of great revelations.  The young king listened to the wizard Merlin and was able to tap into the revelations of his true legacy.  Sir Gawain accepted the loathly lady and this lady turned out to be very beautiful after the curse was lifted on her.

Explanation:

1. Sir Gawain as a young knight was so loyal to the king that he was ready to offer to defend the king at all times and in all circumstances.  His loyalty pushed him to volunteer to marry the loathly lady even before setting his eyes on her.  His loyalty could be described it as immature but it was marked with courage.  But he was also courageous to keep to his word despite his personal pride.

2. "Merlin and the Dragons" is a story in which "the wizard Merlin tells King Arthur the story of dueling dragons and a fateful clash between good and evil, which reveals the surprising secret of the boy king's true legacy."